Unemployment and Social Work

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses how unemployment is a collective social, political and economic problem that must be addressed through effective public policy. The paper relates that one practical means to alleviate the social and psychological problems of unemployment is to increase the access to social work. The paper shows how unemployment can create severe social, economic and political repercussions that social workers can help individuals and communities address.

From the Paper:

"Unemployment creates serious psychological and social problems. The financial strain caused by being unemployed can create family troubles, feelings of shame, and stress from economic hardship. Poverty can become a long-term result of unemployment, as the longer a person is jobless the more likely they are to go into debt or lose their hard-earned skills. Unemployment also leads to a loss of personal freedom because the search for new work can be enormously time consuming. However, unemployment is also a collective social, political, and economic problem. When unemployment is widespread, whole communities, cities, or even regions face long-term economic depression and rising rates of crime."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "About ESTEEM." Urban Pathways. 2005. Retrieved 2 Mar 2007 from http://urbanpathways.org/training.asp
• Pearson, Linda. "Understanding the Culture of Poverty." Nurse Practitioner. Apr 2003. Retrieved 2 Mar 2007 from < http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3958/is_200304/ai_n9171852>
• Whitener, Leslie A., Gibbs, Robert, and Kusmin, Lorin. "Rural Welfare Reform: Lessons Learned." USDA Features: Amber Waves. Retrieved 2 Mar 2007 from < http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/June03/Features/RuralWelfareReforme.htm>

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